Counting devices for use with knitting needles



June 26, 1962 N. T. SANDERS COUNTING DEVICES FOR USE WITH KNITTING NEEDLES Filed NOV. 24, 1958 Inventor NORMAN THOMAS SANDERS United States Patent Ofitice 3,640,982 Patented June 26, 1962 3,040,982 COUNTING DEVICES FOR USE WITH KNITTING NEEDLES Norman Thomas Sanders, Studley, England, assignor to Needle Industries Limited, Birmingham, England, a British company Filed Nov. 24, 1958, Ser. No. 775,794 Claims priority, application Great Britain Feb. 13, 1958 1 Claim. (Cl. 235-117) This invention relates to a counting device for use in association with a hand knitting needle, such counting device being of the kind comprising a sleeve-like assembly and incorporating a viewing aperture or window which is arranged to expose one or more numerals marked on a member or members rotatable with respect to the viewing aperture or window, the arrangement being that the sleeve-like assembly is capable of being threaded on to the shank of a knitting needle and is adapted or provided with means for retention against axial displacement on the knitting needle.

One object of the present invention is to provide a new or improved counting device which is light in weight so that a hand knitting needle will not be unduly weighted when the device is used.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a counting device which has a smooth action so as to be relatively easy to operate but which, at the same time, retains any predetermined setting so that such setting cannot be easily inadvertently disturbed.

Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a counting device which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

A counting device of the kind specified comprising an outer sleeve having at least one viewing aperture, a pair of inner sleeves assembled concentrically with said outer sleeve and having circumferentially spaced numeral markings on their outer faces for selective exposure through said aperture, is characterised in accordance with the invention by the provision of means for retaining said inner sleeves in assembled relation with said outer Sleeve comprising a web on said outer sleeve said inner sleeves being spaced apart axially at their inner ends, said web projecting inwardly between said inner ends, an axially extending element within said inner sleeves and carried by said web, and abutment means on said axially extending element at its ends outwardly engaging with axially presented faces on said inner sleeves to retain same against axial withdrawal.

In a preferred form of the invention the means for retaining the said inner sleeves in assembled relation with said outer sleeve comprises a tubular element extending axially through said inner sleeves the latter being spaced apart axially at their inner ends a web integrally connecting said tubular element and said outer sleeve in the region centrally of the length of the latter said tubular element and web defining in conjunction with said outer sleeve a pair of oppositely facing axially presented annular sockets in which said inner sleeves are rotatably mounted, and radially outwardly extending parts in said tubular element at its outer ends and situated axially outwardly of said inner sleeves to retain said inner sleeves against axial withdrawal from said sockets.

A counting device constructed in accordance with the present invention has the advantage that it is possible to construct all the sleeve members of the device in a synthetic resin material which makes for an attractive appearance and lightness in weight. Thus, where there are provided two sleeves having numerals marked thereon, each of such sleeves may be formed as a one-piece moulding in a suitable synthetic resin material such as polystyrene, which material is capable of receiving print or other markings and the sleeve having the viewing aperture may be formed as a one-piece moulding in polythene. It is found that the combination of polystyrene on the one hand and polythene on the other hand produces a particularly effective arrangement in that the resilience of the polythene sleeve enables a satisfactory frictional engagement to be obtained between the various parts and enables a counting device to be formed which, whilst being capable of easy relative rotation for the purpose of setting, will, nevertheless, maintain the various relatively rotatable parts in a predetermined setting.

Further, by reason of forming the counting device in synthetic resin materials, it is possible to produce an attractively coloured article, the sleeves formed in polystyrene being, if desired, of a colour which contrasts with the colour of the polythene sleeve.

In use the device would be mounted on a hand knitting needle by inserting the shank of the needle into the bore and then sliding the device along the knitting needle so that it lies adjacent the knob. The whole device would be turned so that the viewing aperture is presented towards the eyes of the user and the various sleeves can then be rotated so as to expose to view in the viewing aperture the desired numerals. In this way the user can count the number of rows of knitting that have been done.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view showing a counting device constructed in accordance with the present invention with one of the sleeves having the numerals detached from the device.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation showing the completely assembled device.

FIGURE 3 is a cross sectional elevation on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2, and

FIGURE 4 is a cross sectional elevation taken on the line 44 of FIGURE 3.

Referring now to the drawings, a counting device of the kind specified comprises three parts, namely a sleeve 10 and a pair of sleeves 11. Each of said sleeves 11 is provided with the numerals 0 to 9 marked on a portion of its periphery and indicated generally by reference numeral 12. Each of said sleeves is formed as a one-piece moulding in a synthetic resin material, the sleeve 10 being formed of polythene and the two sleeves 11 being formed of polystyrene with the sleeve 10 being made, if desired, in a colour which contrasts with the colour used for sleeves 11.

The sleeve 10 is provided around its exterior surface with a plurality of axially extending ribs 13, which enable the sleeve to be gripped between the fingers.

Said sleeve 10 is also provided with a pair of axially extending oppositely arranged apertures 14, each aperture being in the form of a slot which extends inwardly from one end of the sleeve so as to form a viewing aperture through which one of the aforementioned numerals provided on the sleeves 11 can be viewed.

The sleeve 10 is also provided centrally of its length with an inwardly extending web 15 which is continuous around the periphery of the sleeve. The web 15 is connected at its inner side to a pair of axially extending tubular spigots 16, each of said spigots being co-axial with the outer portion of the sleeve 10 and extending axially outwardly from the adjacent end of said outer portion of the sleeve 10. It is to be understood that the outer portion of said sleeve 10, together with the web 15, pair of tubular spigots 16, and plurality of ribs 13, are all formed integrally as a one-piece moulding. Further, the pair of tubular spigots 16 are connected on their inner surfaces at their inner ends so as to provide a smooth continuous bore extending through the counting device.

Said sleeve is also provided internally of the aforementioned bore with retaining means adapted to retain the counting device in position on the shank of a knitting needle when the latter is passed through the bore. To this end said inner sleeve 10 is also provided during the moulding operation with two pairs of fins or plates 17 and 18, the two plates of one pair 17 being arranged at right angles to the two plates of the other pair 18, the two plates of each pair being parallel to each other. As will be seen in FIGURES 3 and 4, each of the four plates thus provided is connected along one edge to the wall of the bore defined by said pair of tubular spigots 16 and is free along its opposite edge. Such retaining means is, however, more particularly described in our co-pending patent application of even date.

As will be seen from FIGURE 4, said sleeve 10 is thickened somewhat adjacent the web as indicated by reference numeral 19. There is thus provided a decrease in the gap between the outer portion of the sleeve 10 and the tubular spigots 16 so that each of the adjacent inner ends of the pair of sleeves 11 can be brought into frictional engagement with the inner end of the annular channel that is defined between the outer portion of the sleeve 10 and one of the spigots .16.

Referring now to the pair of sleeves 11, each is provided at its outer end with a laterally directed flange 20 to which is joined an axially extending flange 21, which is co-axially disposed relative to the inner portion of the sleeve 11. Said axially extending flange 21 is formed on its outer surface to a polygonal configuration so as to assist in obtaining a grip on the device. Between the inner surface of such axially extending flange 21 and the outer surface of the adjacent part of the inner Portion of each sleeve llthere is thus defined an annular channel 22 which is adapted to receive the adjacent end of the sleeve 10 and the arrangement may be such that frictional engagement exsts at this position between the sleeve 19 and each of the sleeves 11.

Each of said sleeves 11 is also provided with a step or shoulder 23 and on the portion of reduced diameter which is formed will be marked the numerals 12 aforesaid. In this way, as will be seen in FIGURE 4', a gap or clearance exists between the numerals 12 and the adjacent surface of the sleeve 10 so that undesirable contact and possible erasure of the numerals is avoided.

As originally formed each of the tubular spigots 16 will be of generally cylindrical configuration as indicated at one end of the device shown in FIGURE 1. In this state the two sleeves 11 can be assembled to the sleeve 1t] and the whole assembly secured together by means of turning over the end of each spigot 16 so as to form a laterally projecting flange 24 (see FIGURE 4) which can be located in a suitable recess 25 (see FIGURE 1) provided in the end of each sleeve 11.

Thus each of said sleeves 11 is axially located, firstly by the web 15 which prevents axial movement in the inward direction, and secondly by a laterally projecting flange 24 which prevents axial movement in the outward direction. Furthermore, sufiicient frictional contact exists between the sleeve 10 and each of the sleeves 11 to ensure a smooth action which enables the device to be set to any predetermined figure Whilst at the same time preventing any inadvertent disturbance of the setting.

When it is desired to set the counting device the ribs 13 on the sleeve 10 will be gripped by the fingers of one hand whilst either or both of the sleeves 11 are turned to expose in the viewing aperture 14 the numerals required.

Thus a counting device as above described is formed entirely of non-metallic material and is therefore relatively light in weight whilst at the same time being of attractive appearance and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

What I claim then is:

In a counting device of the kind specified comprising an outer sleeve having at least one viewing aperture, a pair of axially spaced inner sleeves assembled concentrically with said outer sleeve and having circumferentially spaced numeral markings on their outer faces for selective exposure through said aperture; the provision of means for rotatably mounting and retaining said inner sleeves in assembled relation with said outer sleeve comprising an annular web formed integrally on said outer sleeve and projecting radially inwardly between inner ends of said inner sleeves, an axially extending tubular element disposed within and rotatably carrying said inner sleeves, said tubular element being formed integrally with and supported by said web so as to be maintained in fixed concentric relation with said outer sleeve, and radially outwardly extending parts at the outer ends of said tubular element engaging with axially presented faces on said inner sleeves to retain same against axial withdrawal.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,821,953 Langbart et al Feb. 4, 1958 2,872,892 Sanders Feb. 10, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 424,432 Great Britain Feb. 21, 1935 

